Crystal's Ultimate Dinner Party at Sea

Crystal Cruises are inviting foodies to join the “ultimate dinner party at sea" when, for the first time, award-winning Napa Valley vintners Bo and Heidi Barrett and multiple Michelin star-winning Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa will each host one of Crystal's Ultimate Vintage Room Dinners. 

Just 12 to 14 guests (per event) have the opportunity to attend one of the exclusive seven-course, wine-pairing feasts, either while sailing a Mediterranean cruise on Crystal Serenity (starting May 18) or the Black Sea on Crystal Symphony (departing July 13).  Held in the ships’ private Vintage Rooms just once or twice a year, the “dinner tab” to attend is $1,000 per guest, with hosts on-hand to oversee preparations and explain the menu choices. 

Bo and Heidi Barrett (Istanbul to Barcelona):
Between Bo’s Chateau Montelena - the winery whose 1976 Judgment of Paris Chardonnay win was depicted in the recent film, Bottle Shock - and Heidi’s award-winning “cult” 1992 Screaming Eagle, this Napa couple is largely credited with putting Californian wines on the map. They will be personally selecting each vintage served for the evening.

Chef Nobu Matsuhisa (Rome to Istanbul):
The mastermind behind a culinary empire, including Crystal’s Silk Road and The Sushi Bar, Chef Nobu will be creating his first-ever “ultimate” meal for Crystal, accompanied by extraordinary rare wine and champagne pairings. Nobu will also hold autograph sessions, cooking classes and larger omakase dinners throughout the sailing.

Both 12-night voyages boast equally exceptional itineraries. The Serenity sailing overnights in Monte Carlo during the Grand Prix, in addition to overnights in Istanbul and Barcelona and visits to Mykonos, Santorini/Thíra, Sorrento, Bonifacio/Corsica and Florence/Livorno. All-inclusive fly/cruise prices from £3,589 per person, if booked by April 30. The July 13 Black Sea voyage on Symphony explores Rome/Civitavecchia, Sorrento, Sicily/Taormina, Contanţa, Yalta and Sochi, with overnights in Odessa and Istanbul. All-inclusive fly/cruise prices from £4,148 per person, if booked by April 30.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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Crystal's Solo Cruiser Bonus

Crystal Cruises has added more than a dozen new itineraries to its “Sole Occupancy” savings promotion for 2013. Offering single supplements of just 10% for a deluxe stateroom, the exceptionally low single occupancy fares are now available on 26 Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony voyages around the globe, including the Mediterranean, Baltic, South America/Caribbean, Western Europe, Black Sea, North Cape, British Isles, eastern Canada and Trans-Ocean. These low solo supplements are available on 7-18-night cruises from June to December.

Among the extra care Crystal provides for solo travellers are “Ambassador Host” companions for dinner and dancing on every sailing, assigned dinner seating in the Crystal Dining Room and the “Table for 8,” which brings individuals together for shared evening dining in the speciality restaurants. 

Crystal's ocean resort experience always includes fine wines, premium spirits and gratuities, as well as a host of other complimentary amenities, from enlightening enrichment speakers and fitness classes to pampering pillow menus and speciality dining featuring the world-renowned cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa. 

All-inclusive “Sole Occupancy” promotional fares begin at £2,485pp if booked by April 30 (based on a seven-night “Grecian Getaway” cruise from Istanbul-Athens departing July 6).

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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Sushi Maestro On Board With Crystal

One of the world’s greatest culinary artists, Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, is visiting his luxury cruise partner, Crystal Cruises, this summer to teach, mingle, dine and cook for guests. The famed sushi maestro, and mastermind behind the line’s exclusive Silk Road and The Sushi Bar restaurants, will join Crystal Symphony’s 12-night Rome to Istanbul Black Sea voyage beginning July 13. 

Accompanied by Fumio Hazu, the Sake Master behind Nobu’s exclusive, 140-year-old sake brand, the two will showcase their expertise during several intimate gourmet experiences, including:

• Two Omakase or Chef’s Choice dinners in Silk Road, limited to just 70 guests and featuring some of Nobu’s finest dishes and connoisseur items such as white sturgeon caviar and Hokusetsu “Musical Sake”.
• Sake tasting sessions, including insight into Hazu’s unique “live” sake brewing processes which include playing Japanese music to bottles for three years to create a smoother taste from vibrations.
• Live cooking demonstrations during which Nobu will share the secrets behind his renowned dishes.
• Silk Road and The Sushi Bar appearances during regular dinner hours to welcome guests and enhance the enjoyment of their meal.
• Cookbook signings and photo opportunities throughout the voyage.

Crystal’s Nobu-cuisine restaurants, the only ones of their kind at sea, feature his personally-trained chefs, signature dishes, Nobu sake and his own line of dinnerware. Complimentary and open almost every evening of every cruise, the restaurants offer mouth-watering dishes that are also available via room service in Crystal’s butler-serviced Penthouse accommodations.

The 12-night “Bounties of the Black Sea” itinerary starts in Rome’s port of Civitavecchia and visits Sorrento, Sicily, Constanţa, Odessa (overnight), Yalta and Sochi before finishing with an overnight in Istanbul. All-inclusive “Book Now” fly/cruise fares start from £4,148 per person, if booked by February 28. 

For bookings, follow this link to the Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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Rare Chance For Penthouse Savings With Crystal

View of Venice from your private balcony? Check. Butler inside your chic suite pouring chilled champagne? Check. Saving money on the whole extravaganza? You bet, thanks to a rare Penthouse sale from Crystal Cruises offering big savings on their ultimate luxury Mediterranean sailings this autumn. 

Couples can save up to £1,140 on select voyages if reserving one of Crystal Serenity’s recently-redesigned, multi-award-winning Penthouses or Penthouse Suites by June 30.

From mid-August through November, savvy travellers have a rich choice of Mediterranean cruises exploring coveted cities and lesser known jewels in Italy, the French Riviera, Spain, the Greek Isles, Croatia, Turkey and Montenegro, as well as the Black Sea (including Russia and the Ukraine), Holy Land and Canary Islands/Iberia.

All Penthouse stateroom categories boast a personal butler for complimentary packing and unpacking, pressing and shoe shine service, daily hors d’oeuvres, fully stocked champagne, wine and spirits bar, personalised stationery, walk-in closet, larger balcony and speciality room service from the likes of the superb Nobu restaurant (designed by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa), plus many more complimentary amenities.

Each port-packed cruise offers 11 or 12 nights of all-inclusive luxury, with “Book Now” fares starting from £4,375 per person, based on two sharing a Penthouse with Veranda on an 11-night voyage from Barcelona to Lisbon departing November 17.

Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort or hotel in history.  

For bookings, follow this link to our sponsors and the UK's leading luxury cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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